Moves:
UK & Ireland
Latham Suffers Latest Departure as Skadden Swoops for London IP Head
Partner Deborah Kirk works on a variety of IP and technology issues across several industries. She will be leading the practice of intellectual property and technology transactions at her new firm. Her business specializes on helping clients navigate the tech and intellectual property sides of complicated transactions, including large-scale carve-outs, while protecting and commercializing their intangible assets.
McDermott Strengthens Global Private Equity Offering with New Hire in London
Jason Zemmel has joined the Transactions Practice Group at McDermott Will & Emery, an international law firm. Jason is a London-based lawyer specializing in private equity (PE) and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the healthcare industry.
Welcoming a new partner to Taylor Wessing’s London financial services regulatory offering
Martin Dowdall has joined Taylor Wessing as a partner, based in their London office. Martin comes from a top US company. Martin’s joining underscores our ongoing commitment in this area of their business and will enhance the firm’s capacity to offer UK and international client’s comprehensive guidance on all facets of UK and EU financial services legislation and regulation.
Clark Hill recruits Conor Kenny as international business co-ordinator
Conor Kenny has joined the transatlantic practice of international law firm Clark Hill as an international business coordinator. Mrs. Kenny, who is based in Dublin, will promote American companies growing in Ireland and Europe while also concentrating on bringing European-based companies to the US.
EMEA
Addleshaw Goddard boosts tax practice in Germany
Dr. Anders Kraft joins along with his team, which includes associate Steffen Bellmann and counsel Dr. Susanne Knoch, he joins from Ashurst. In the context of M&A, private equity, real estate, finance, and capital market transactions, Anders Kraft is a tax counsel and lawyer who focuses on both domestic and international tax issues.
Addleshaw Goddard strengthens with partner Katharina Feddersen
Katharina Feddersen comes from Osborne Clarke, where she worked as a partner for over 11 years and was instrumental in setting up the Hamburg office. Her practice focuses on construction project development as well as legal advice on planning and construction of lengthy and complex construction projects in the city centres of major German cities.
Herbert Smith Freehills strengthens EMEA competition litigation team with partner hire
Thorsten Matthies has joined Herbert Smith Freehills, a renowned international law firm, as a Disputes partner in Düsseldorf, enhancing the firm’s presence in EMEA competition litigation. Coming from Freshfields, Thorsten joins. His areas of expertise include antitrust litigation, strategic defense against global mass claims, negotiating and crafting custom settlements, and defending clients in court and out of court in cartel damage claims.
Didier De Vliegher joins Jones Day’s Real Estate Practice in the Brussels Office
As a corporate finance lawyer in Brussels with over 30 years of experience, Mr. De Vliegher focuses on capital markets, public-private partnerships, project finance, real estate finance, and M&A transactions in the real estate sector. For Belgian and foreign businesses, such as banks, insurance providers, and REITs, he specializes in lease contracts, sale and lease-back agreements, and other real estate transactions.
Andries has more than 20 years of expertise advising companies and financial institutions on a variety of topics related to European and Dutch financial legislation and transactions, including both domestic and international acquisitions.
CMS strengthens Dubai projects and maritime team with partner relocation
Eleanor Lane, who was formerly located in Scotland, joins the firm’s maritime practice and Middle East projects. She has more than 20 years of expertise providing advice on infrastructure and maritime projects, including strategic outsourcing initiatives, public-private partnerships, and public service concessions.
Kennedys strengthens international arbitration practice with new Paris-based partner
Thomas joins as one of the lead partners in their growing commercial and investment arbitration practice, and will work as part of the leadership team across various jurisdictions on developing the offering. Joining from Hogan Lovells, Thomas has specialised in international arbitration for over twenty years, acting for multinational companies in commercial arbitrations under all the major rules and institutions, and for both Nation States and investors in investment treaty arbitrations.
APAC
Indonesia’s AVYA builds construction expertise with new partner
Ryand Armilis has been appointed as a new partner to head the building and infrastructure practice division at the Indonesian legal firm AVYA legal.
Former Cavenagh Law disputes partner joins Oon & Bazul
In an effort to bolster its dispute resolution expertise, local firm Oon & Bazul has hired Elan Krishna, a former partner at Cavenagh Law, the Singapore Formal Law Alliance (FLA) subsidiary of Clifford Chance.
Malaysia’s Zul Rafique welcomes back real estate pro from in-house role
Ainal Marlinda Md Said, who previously served as the legal head of Sime Darby Property, has joined the Malaysian law firm Zul Rafique & Partners, strengthening its real estate expertise.
Udaan assistant GC rejoins CAM in Bengaluru
Lakshmi Rajagopalan, the assistant general counsel at the B2B e-commerce platform Udaan, has joined Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas as a partner in the company’s Bengaluru financial services and technology practice.
In house
Ex-Philly Museum of Art GC Takes Legal Reins of Twilio-Backed Messaging Business
William Peterson has returned to the field of mobile communications. Prior to spending three years at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, first as general counsel and subsequently as chief operating officer, he held a number of high positions at Verizon for fifteen years.
$17B Episcopal Church Pension Fund Hires New Legal Chief as Staff Changes Continue
CEO Mary Wold said that Julian Chung’s “breadth of experience as a corporate attorney, incorporating legal strategy and business strategy, spans more than 25 years and will benefit us greatly.”
Growth-Hungry Bitcoin Miner Hires ‘Thought Leader’ as First US GC
According to Bitfarms, employing Rachel Silverstein will lower the cost of hiring outside counsel and instantly establish the company’s credibility with other bitcoin miners and data center builders in this nation.
King Kullen—the Nation’s First Supermarket—Hires Outside Counsel as GC
When Michael J. Cullen’s plan for far larger, primarily self-service stores didn’t work out with his previous employer, Kroger, he launched the supermarket business in 1930 they have now hired Christoper Mansfield as their GC.
Longtime Trenton Insider Named Gov. Murphy’s New Chief Counsel
“I am thrilled to welcome Kate McDonnell back to the Governor’s Office as my new Chief Counsel,” Gov. Phil Murphy disclosed in a statement. “Her decades of service to the Garden State and her strong background in public policy demonstrate the ideal skillset to excel in this role.”
Crypto asset manager CoinShares hires former Sidley Austin lawyer as group GC
Lisa Avellini has been appointed as group general counsel by CoinShares, a digital asset investment management company. Graeme Dickson left the company at the end of September to explore another opportunity. Avellini most recently served as deputy general counsel at Balyasny Europe Asset Management.
Former Fried Frank, Orrick partner hired as CLO of Episcopal Church Pension Group
Julian Chung has been appointed as the next chief legal officer of the US Episcopal Church’s Pension Group. Nancy Sanborn will retire at the end of this year. Chung comes from Enveritas, a sustainability assurance company, where she serves as head of compliance and general counsel.
The Americas
Chief Counsel to Gov. Murphy Set to Move to Lowenstein Sandler
The most recent lawyer to leave the governor’s office of New Jersey to work at Lowenstein Sandler is Parimal Garg.
Connecticut Movers: City Firms Announce Latest Hires
Two new associates join Neubert, Pepe & Monteith, and a partner rejoins Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey.
Cleary Adds Longtime Federal Prosecutor in San Francisco
In his new position as a partner in Cleary’s Americas litigation practice, Matthew Yelovich brings both appellate and white-collar experience to the table.
King & Spalding Adds Veteran Antitrust Litigator from White & Case in New York
Ross Elfand rose from associate to partner at White & Case, where he has worked for the past 18 years.
Clark Hill Adds to Litigation Team in Wilmington
Brian O’Neill has become a member of Clark Hill’s Wilmington office, joining the firm’s litigation division.
Partner Joins Jackson Walker’s Electric Regulatory Practice
Austin partner Catherine Garza has joined Jackson Walker’s Electric Regulatory practice, the firm announced this week. Garza spent nine years working as a lawyer at Eversheds Sutherland before that.
White & Case Lures DLA Piper’s Vice Chair for FDA Regulation
Peter Carney, chairman of White & Case’s life sciences and health care sector group, stated that Bethany Hills’ FDA regulatory skills “are a crucial component to maintaining a top global life sciences offering.”
BCLP Adds Former Seattle Mayor to Lead White Collar Practice
From 2017 to 2021, Jenny Durkan served as Seattle’s mayor. Prior to that, she was the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington and oversaw Quinn Emanuel’s cyber business.
Mayer Brown Adds Private Credit Partner from King & Spalding
Last month, the firm’s New York branch welcomed Sheel Patel as its second private credit partner.
People in the News—Oct. 31, 2024—McNees, Dilworth Paxson
William McLaughlin joined McNees Wallace & Nurick as director of marketing, completing the firm’s leadership team in marketing and business development.
Team Moves
4-Partner A&O Shearman Group Decamps to Linklaters
At A&O Shearman, David Lucking served as the worldwide co-head of financial markets.
Award winning Real Estate team grows in Germany
Leading real estate attorney Nicolas Deuerling has joined the growing Frankfurt office of Gowling WLG, a global top 100 law firm, as part of the business’s expansion strategy in Europe. To bolster the firm’s real estate practice in Germany under the direction of Dr. Wolfram Paetzold, Nicolas Deuerling will be joined by his team of two associates, Kai-Steffen Knapp and Susanne Schaad, and a counsel, Matthias Fischer. Everyone is coming from Ashurst.
A&L Goodbody appoints five new partners
Five new partners have been hired by A&L Goodbody, including one in Belfast and four in Dublin. The technology team’s Clare Carroll and Stephen King, the disputes and investigations team’s Denise Daly Byrne, and the construction and engineering team’s Siobhan Kearney are the new Dublin partners.
Financials:
Average Partner Comp Hits $1M in Phila.
The number increased by $260,000 from the year before, according to a recent Major, Lindsey & Africa poll.
Texas’ Highest-Paid GCs: Companies New to State Snag Top Spots
Last year, Caterpillar relocated to the state, and Suzette Long, the company’s chief legal officer, made her debut at number five on the list.
Partner Pay Transparency Is Eroding, even if ‘Black Box’ Systems Haven’t Caught On
One consultant noted that some firms now make partner pay data less accessible. Opening up pay data can lead to “a lot of partner dissatisfaction and angst.”
Taylor Wessing Germany Ups Associate and Salaried Partner Pay
The change brings Germany’s pay closer to that of the UK, where the firm raised the salary of freshly trained lawyers to £115,000 in August.
Promotions & Appointments
Becker & Poliakoff Expands Leadership Roles, Attempting to Encourage Innovation and Mentorship
In response to the necessity for succession planning and the growing competition throughout Florida, the company is giving some of its more seasoned stockholders new leadership roles.
Nike Promotes Legal Chief to Marketing Chief as New CEO Launches Turnaround
Ann Miller, an 18-year Nike lawyer, “will inspire, innovate and push the boundaries of what’s possible” in her new position as executive vice president of global sports marketing, according to new Nike CEO Elliott Hill.
Arnold & Porter Elects New Co-Chair Leadership Amid C-Suite Changes
Richard Alexander, who has been chairman for the last nine years, will be replaced by the new co-chairs. Additionally, the company has appointed a CEO, a newly created role at Arnold & Porter.
Kilpatrick Names 10 New Partners for 2025, Favouring Atlanta, Seattle
The 2025 partners are all female, with the exception of one, and they work in the fields of technological transactions, complicated commercial litigation, and trademark and patent litigation.
Procopio Elects Managing Partner
John Alessio, who held the position for almost seven years before passing away in September, is replaced by Dennis Doucette.
MPs from array of legal backgrounds appointed to justice select committee
The justice select committee of the House of Commons has been composed of members with a variety of backgrounds and areas of expertise in law.
Siobhán Caslin appointed to Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland
Siobhán Caslin, a barrister, has been appointed to the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Council. Ms. Caslin has more than 12 years of expertise in public and regulatory law.
Diversity & Inclusion:
Female GCs Joining Corporate Boards in Large Numbers, Overcoming Biases and Stereotypes Along Way
According to Tara Giunta, a partner at Paul Hastings, “the biggest barrier is breaking into the networks, which traditionally have not included women and other diverse constituencies.”
Retail reality check: the neurodivergent customer experience
According to Nicola Conway of Bird & Bird, reimagining retail for neurodiverse consumers is becoming popular. Will these lessons be learned by luxury?
Office Openings & Closing:
Wilmer to Become 12th U.S. Firm in Past 18 Months to Close Office in Greater China
Wilmer won’t have any offices in Asia after the China office closes, which is anticipated to happen by the end of November.
Clifford Chance Splashes $20M on New Houston Office
The action emphasizes how crucial Houston is to businesses looking to break into the US market.
Vinson & Elkins Launches Office in Energy-Rich Denver Market
Vinson & Elkins, a Houston-based firm, opens an office in Denver and initially employs three transactional partners due to the growth of its clientele in the Denver area.
Big Four Japanese Firm Nagashima Ohno Launches First European Office in London
The Big Four In keeping with a trend of international development by some of Japan’s most prominent law firms, Japanese firm Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu is scheduled to open its first European office in London in January. This month, Kiyoshi Honda, a partner in the firm’s infrastructure, energy and environmental, and real estate practices, will move from Tokyo to London to lead the office.
Mayer Brown Shutters Mexico City Office, Lawyers Scatter
The office’s initial goals in 2015 were to capitalize on the opening of Mexico’s oil and gas industry to private investment; however, those intentions were dashed three years later when energy nationalism Andrés Manuel López Obrador was elected president of Mexico.
Mergers & Alliances:
CMS in Tie-Up Talks with Indian Law Firm
The possible partnership follows a number of significant departures from IndusLaw this year and is in line with CMS’ goals for worldwide consolidation.
Wickard AI Partners With Law School to Bring Legal AI Training to Ethiopia
As the nation’s legal sector expands, the startup is organizing a two-day training course alongside Addis Ababa University Law School.
Harbor Acquires U.K.-Based Legal Tech Services Company Ascertus
Harbor’s third M&A transaction since its founding, the acquisition of Ascertus, broadens its global reach.
A&O Shearman Becomes First Long-Term Corporate Partner to UN Refugee Agency
Over the next five years, the firm will contribute up to £500,000 of partner revenues to the emergency fund as part of the agreement.
Technology & Innovation:
Law Firms ‘Still Lacing Up Their Shoes’ in Gen AI Race, Report Says
A recent article titled “Keeping Pace: Law Firms in the Era of AI-Driven Business” claims that “corporate America is sprinting ahead.”
K&L Gates Looks to Extend Gen AI Expertise to Access to Justice Fight
The firm organized the first AI & Access to Justice Summit in collaboration with Stanford Law School’s Legal Design Lab.
Could AI Investments Be Another Driver of Law Firm Mergers?
Some legal firms have expressed interest in merging with a bigger firm, in part “to have the scale necessary to properly invest in technology,” according to a merger consultant.
Latham’s New Academy Starts Associate Training on AI
The legal firm will first concentrate on training associates in their first through fourth years, but as the program grows, additional lawyers—including partners—will join.
Pre/Dicta Expands Litigation Analytics Platform to California, Its First Venture into State Courts
The company will forecast case timetables and motion results in California Superior Courts as part of an expansion made possible by the 2023 acquisition of Gavelytics, with plans to soon expand to other jurisdictions.
UK-Based Legal Entity Management Startup Kuberno Announces £9.5 Million Series A Investment
With this financial announcement, Kuberno intends to attract more law firm clients and incorporate AI into its Kube platform.
Inside Travers Smith’s AI Training, Development Efforts
In order to keep up with the rapidly changing technology, the company wants to introduce its staff to gen AI through training modules and experiments.
Market Commentary:
Addressing REIT Practice ‘Barrier to Entry,’ Paul Hastings Turns to DLA Piper, Goodwin for Hires
The two new recruits fill a “gap” in the firm’s real estate business, which is already “mature,” according to chair Frank Lopez. They also help the firm’s strategy in a number of related professions.
‘We Have That Equal Responsibility’: One Am Law 50 Firm’s Approach to Lateral Integration
“The proposition is 50/50. Craig Budner, global strategic development partner at K&L Gates, stated, “We’re not the ‘show me’ firm, where we bring in the lateral and say, ‘Show me your book and how you’ll help us.’?”
Big Law Firms Increased First-Year Associate Hiring in 2024
Among the firms who provided data, the median change in class size was an 11% rise, while the average class size in the Am Law 50 increased by 14%.
Latin American Wealth Spurs Boom for Miami Lawyers
“A lot of the clients are saying, ‘Do me a favour and meet me in Miami,'” said Michael Silva, who co-heads McDermott Will & Emery’s Latin America business and leads the Miami Tax group.
From Courtroom to Cradle: Practical Advice for Young Attorneys About Parental Leave
Although the legal profession has made progress in accommodating attorneys’ need for time off after a child is born or adopted, paid parental leave is regrettably not a common practice, and outdated beliefs about it persist.
Why Retirement Might Be Increasingly Top-of-Mind for Older Attorneys
Some elder attorneys are beginning to question whether this is the proper moment to retire due to a rapidly evolving technological landscape and generational dynamics that drive the need for succession planning.
Rivals Seize Opportunity as A&O Shearman, Hogan Lovells Vacate South Africa
Following the surprise departures of A&O Shearman and Hogan Lovells, both of which are anticipated to leave by the end of 2024, law firms are adjusting their South African plans. In addition to adding a Hogan Lovells M&A partner and associate to its team on Friday, Bowmans has already hired 14 A&O Shearman attorneys, including eight partners who begin work in early 2025. Samantha Joshua, a senior associate, joined Wessel Badenhorst, the former managing partner of Hogan Lovells, when he started his own business.